Food can be a very effective topic for developing literacy skills. It is familiar and tangible. It is personally relevant and accessible. And, everyone is an expert about what they like to eat.

What is food literacy?

Just as there are many definitions for literacy, there are many definitions for food literacy. Here’s one from Fraser Health:

Food literacy is having the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to choose, grow, prepare and enjoy healthy food to support one’s health, community and the environment. It means understanding the impact of our food choices on our health, the environment and our economy.

Most definitions include a nutrition and food skills component. But there’s more, including a positive relationship with food built through experiences. Food literacy recognizes the importance of context, such as budget and culture, and larger considerations such as food security and the environmental impact of decisions.

What literacy skills can food-related activities support?

Food literacy activities can support a variety of other literacy skills including:

• reading a recipe
• writing a recipe
• knowing the vocabulary of ingredients and different foods
• measuring ingredients and scaling a recipe up or down
• science of booking
• reading and understanding nutrition labels
• learning to navigate grocery stores
• using technology to access food information
• budgeting (financial literacy)
• understanding health implications of food choices (health literacy)

Read How one cooking program created a recipe to transform lives to see how this can work in an adult class.

Food-related learning activities for adults

Find a sample of teaching aids using food, baking or cooking in:

• Cooking Verbs ESL Printable Worksheets and Exercises
• English ESL Recipe Worksheets
• Food Glorious Food – Board Game
• Free Cooking Worksheets
• Janis’s ESL Links: Recipes

Food-related learning activities for children

Find food activities that build literacy skills in young children in:

• 6 Ways Cooking With Kids Can Boost Literacy Skills
• Appetite to Play – Healthy Eating section
• Bright Bites
• LEAP – Food Flair activity cards
• Literacy In The Kitchen: Opportunities To Learn While Cooking
• What’s on my plate?

Find tips for cooking with children in Little Chefs, Big Benefits: Cooking with young children.